


"May the light illuminate your path."

by wilderv



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Bird Dad, Father Figures, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Oneshot, Rito Stable, and link needs a break, i just really like kass ok he's so soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:42:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27753277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wilderv/pseuds/wilderv
Summary: SUPER self-indulgent interaction between Link and the Rito bard, Kass. The guy's always there to share his songs, and he's impressed by all of Link's feats. You can't tell me they won't have become friends of some sort by now, lol. Plus, Kass is a canonical dad and Link is alone So Often and facing some pretty harrowing stuff....There are a lot more NPCs I might write about in the coming months, because BOTW is filled with such lovely people you only get to interact with in passing.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 39





	"May the light illuminate your path."

The night was cold. Not the frostbitten, hungry cold of the Hebra mountains, but a gentle one. One that made the air feel just a bit cleaner, the gathering dew just a bit fresher. Kass sat near the fire, his bandoneon much fainter than usual. His amber eyes were fixed onto the flames before him, grounding his thoughts before he could be carried too far away, until his reveries were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps.

A travel-weary Hylian staggered toward the stable entrance in an exhausted stupor, the weapons and shield on his back gleaming against the moonlit sky. With each step, the boy’s eyes were fixed upon the ground just feet in front of him.

The sound of Kass’ bandondeon faded to silence. He looked up at the Hylian—his friend, really—who had just stopped feet away from the fire, arms drawn close to his body.

“Care to sit with me? You look like you could use several days’ worth of rest.”

Link nodded and took the seat adjacent to the Rito’s. There was a troubled look on his face, which disappeared the moment he sat, hands held out against the warming flames.

“You appear burdened,” Kass murmured with a tilt to his head. “Is there something on your mind?”

One of Link’s hands retreated to rub sleep from his eyes. Perhaps he was sleep-deprived, loosening his tongue; Kass suddenly realized they’d exchanged very few words since they had first met. He sighed, “I can’t shake the feeling that everyone is counting on me. One mistake, and I might let them down. No, not ‘might.’ I _will_ let them down. I—I’m afraid.” The boy, for he truly was only a boy, saddled with a near-impossible task, slumped lower with his elbows resting on his knees. “I’m afraid, Kass.”

It was only then that the Rito noticed the injuries lacing his friend’s face and arms: stray bruises, slashes, scrapes from falling, or fighting, or…He realized, too, that the Hylian was still shivering despite the fire’s warmth.

“It is only natural to fear. That is the thing that divides the wise from the reckless. It is proof that you care.” Kass reached a wing out to rest gently on Link’s shoulder. Their eyes met: Kass’s, filled with a mix of benevolence and concern, and Link’s, wide, and swimming with emotions far too big for someone so young.

“If you did not care, you would not fear this potential failure, would you?”

“I guess not…”

“You wouldn’t. We may not know each other well, but I do know this. You betray your love for this land and its peoples with all you do.” Kass stood abruptly, startling the Hylian, then walked opposite to him, his smile illuminated by the fire between them. Wings outstretched, he gestured emphatically as he continued, “I have seen you defeat foes who outsize you by a hundredfold, solve riddles whose solutions have been mysteries for a century, bring life to things long-dead, and all of it, you do to protect us all.”

The traveller, the hero—the child—turned away. His cheeks were warm, blushing either against the cold, or this ardent speech. “If this destiny were someone else’s, they’d do the exact same thing. The only thing that makes me special is _this_.” He punctuated his words by unsheathing his sword and jabbing it into the earth in front of him. A faint glow emanated from it.

“But it is not someone else’s destiny. This destiny belongs to nobody but you. That _sword_ belongs to nobody but you. And even if the call had been for someone else, it was your choice to answer, and more importantly, your choice to persevere. Many would have quit after the first sign of adversity, but I have not seen you quit once.” Kass sat back down, this time closer to Link, drawing him near. Link was still trembling slightly, but steadied by increments with the Rito’s wing across his shoulders. He leaned against Kass; he looked exhausted, barely able to keep his eyes open.

“My teacher told me countless tales of the hero’s bravery, his courage against the evils of the world. There is only one thing which his stories failed to mention.”

Kass heard a barely audible _“Hm?”_ from beside him, and gave a chuckle, low and melodic.

“He never did mention how even the mightiest of warriors need to rest from time to time. Nor did he write about how valiant heroes do not need praise after the deed is done; on the contrary, it is only when the hardships become nearly too much that they need it the most.” Before Link could respond, as Kass felt a “What?” slowly mounting, he carried on, “My teacher would have been proud of each accomplishment of yours. Do you understand that? He admired you with the fervor of an entire kingdom, and it still rings out in the songs that I play.

“And that is not all, my friend. It is an honor to be an acquaintance of yours. Truly. In the short time we have known each other, you have grown into this destiny of yours; it fits you like a Zora’s armor. I am proud of all you have accomplished, from such large actions as commandeering Vah Medoh to something so small as capturing your first dragonfly. I am proud to know you; I am proud to have sung for you; I am proud to be here, right now, by your side. I look at you, and I know that if anyone can restore peace to Hyrule, it is you. But, you must understand that the designs of others should not be prioritized over your own. Defeat the Calamity when you decide you are ready. I trust you to decide this. We _all_ trust you to decide this. When it is time, you will know, and no one else can tell you when it will be.” Kass squeezed Link’s shoulder for reassurance.

“Even if you do not succeed, you will not have failed us. Remember that.”

Link’s breaths were slower now, the rhythm of one deep in slumber. The Rito rested his chin on the top of Link’s head, and hummed softly the songs of his teacher, songs of bravery and beauty, of the farthest reaches of Hyrule and of the places that are marked only by the friends who inhabit them.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry i know it's cheesy as hell but let me have this,, i'd die for any of the Rito


End file.
